


love is (this)

by thisissirius



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Camping, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-26
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:07:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23863513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thisissirius/pseuds/thisissirius
Summary: “Right,” Buck says, a half hour later when the tent is set up, secure, and Chris is complaining that he’s hungry. “Time to order the food — and then we can light the fire.”“In the garden?” Eddie raises his eyebrows. “I don’t know, Buck.”Buck stares at him. “Eddie, we’refirefighters. And there’s two of us.”for chris week day seven: PURE FLUFF
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley & Christopher Diaz & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan “Buck” Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Comments: 37
Kudos: 390





	love is (this)

Buck and Chris are nowhere to be found when Eddie gets home. He’s not scared; Buck’s truck is outside, and Buck sent a text before Eddie left the station to let him know dinner’s on him. Eddie snorts. To be fair, dinner’s always on him but mostly because he burns whatever’s actually for dinner rather than him being generous.

The back door is open and Eddie heads out.

“What are you doing?” Eddie asks, frowning at the mess of his yard. There’s a ton of shit on the patio, and the grass is strewn with pegs and tents pieces.

Chris is helping Buck sort out a series of pegs. Buck has three piles sorted by size and glances up at Eddie distractedly. “Camping.”

Eddie raises his eyebrows. “..... in the backyard?”

“Duh,” Buck says, brushing down his pants as he stands. “You can’t get time off, so we’re camping here. Where you can be.”

Eddie’s not sure what to say to that. It’s true that he’s not able to get time off. Not because Bobby doesn’t want to let him, but because he can’t afford not to be working, especially to go somewhere camping. The new truck is kicking his ass and he’s desperately trying to find a way to make ends meet, but he’s not gonna visit that on Buck — or Chris. Except for how he can’t go camping.

“Come on,” Buck says, snapping Eddie out of his head. “Help us get this tent up.”

“Dad!” Chris grins and holds up some pegs. “I’m gonna hand Buck the pegs.”

Eddie smiles and goes to join his boys. 

It takes a bit of trial and error for them to set up the tents. “Where did you even find these?”

“Bought ‘em,” Buck says, slotting the poles together and pulling the fabric down over the end. “Yours wasn’t water tight and I figured it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

“This one’s bigger!” Chris tells him proudly, handing Buck one of the pegs. 

Eddie helps Buck move the tent into the best position and unties the ropes. “You didn’t have to do that.”

Buck shrugs and Eddie can see the flush on his face. He’s acting like it’s no big deal, but to Eddie it is; Buck cares so much and Eddie sees him. He just has to tell him he sees him without being obvious about it. “This way all three of us can fit.”

There’s a hesitation in Buck’s words and Eddie isn’t about to draw attention to it. 

“Obviously,” Eddie says, and hands Buck the rope while Chris gives him another peg. “Can’t leave anyone out.”

Chris nods enthusiastically as Buck eyes Eddie over the tent. Eddie doesn’t think he doubts Eddie’s feelings or how much a part of the Diaz family he is, but Buck’s uncertain in a lot of ways. Buck’s past is a mystery for the most part and Eddie doesn’t want to pry, but he wishes he knew some things — and could take them away from Buck. 

“Right,” Buck says, a half hour later when the tent is set up, secure, and Chris is complaining that he’s hungry. “Time to order the food — and then we can light the fire.”

“In the garden?” Eddie raises his eyebrows. “I don’t know, Buck.”

Buck stares at him. “Eddie, we’re _firefighters._ And there’s two of us.”

Chris laughs. “Three, Bucky! I’m here too.”

“Of course you are,” Buck says, scooping Chris up and spinning him around. “How could I forget the most important member of our station?”

Eddie watches them silently, not sure how to put into words the emotions stirring within him. He loves Buck, that much he’s known for a while, but every day, he’s learning the extent of those feelings — or the fact that it never stops growing. 

“Pizza,” Eddie says, shoving at Buck’s shoulder. “Chris can help me guard the fire.”

Chris nods, grinning at Buck and then Eddie. “I’ll be super careful.”

Eddie takes his time; Buck’s hovering in the doorway on the phone, watching them. Eddie shows Chris how to set up the fire. Buck’s piled a series of bricks in a circle, and stands the tinder up like a teepee. Chris helps with some, but sits back and watches Eddie do the rest. “Then you need something that burns inside.”

Chris nods. 

“Don’t do this without us, okay?” Buck says, coming back out into the yard.

“I won’t,” Chris assures him. “It’s not fun without you anyway, Bucky.”

Buck’s smile is soft and he ruffles Chris’ hair, then turns to Eddie. “You ready?”

“We have Bobby on standby, right?” Eddie jokes, and Buck rolls his eyes. Eddie reaches for the matches and slowly lights the fire. 

“This is so cool,” Chris says, awed. 

Eddie can’t remember the last time they went camping, but he knows this isn’t Chris’ first time. “We’ve done this before, buddy.”

Chris shakes his head. “Not with Buck.”

Which is true. Eddie meets Buck’s eyes and they share a look. Eddie watches the fire burn and can’t stop smiling. “That’s true.”

They lapse into silence as they watch the fire build up slowly. It’s a good moment, one Eddie allows himself to savour before the doorbell rings and Buck jerks as if shocked. “I’ve got it.”

Chris waits until Buck’s disappeared into the house and leans into Eddie. “Dad?”

“Yeah?” Eddie runs a hand through Chris’ hair. “Everything okay?”

“Buck’s happy, isn’t he?”

Eddie frowns, looking down at Chris with concern. “I think he is, buddy. Why?”

Chris hesitates, and then looks up at his dad. “I want to make Buck happy. I think he’s been sad for ages but we can make him happy.”

Grateful every day that his son’s an inherently good person, Eddie doesn’t know what to say for a moment. He leans down, kisses the top of Chris’ head. “Yeah, Chris, I think we do make him happy.”

“And you want him to be happy?”

“There’s nothing I want more,” Eddie says honestly. The two people in his life that he cares about the most — of course he wants Buck to be happy, as much as Chris is. “I love him, buddy.”

“Me too,” Chris says happily.

“Are you cuddling without me?” Buck asks. He’s carrying the pizza boxes and some paper plates. Something else he bought along with the tents, because Eddie’s certain he doesn’t have any paper plates — unless they’re left over from the station party. Eddie’s not even sure what’s in his cupboards anymore; Buck always knows better than him. 

Chris giggles. “No, Bucky!”

Buck eyes him, pretending to be angry, but when Chris giggles again he laughs and sits down next to them, placing the pizza and plates on the blanket. 

“Buck,” Chris whispers. “You forgot the drinks!”

“Oh no!” Buck presses his hands to his face. “We’re going to go thirsty, Chris!”

Chris is laughing too much to be too scared, but he gives it a good go. “Daddy will save us!”

“Will I?” Eddie asks, and his face hurts from smiling so much. 

Buck and Chris lean together, Buck with his arm around Chris’ shoulders, and Chris grinning up at his dad. “Please?”

Rolling his eyes, Eddie pushes himself to his feet. “Fine. Anyone need anything else? Sweaters? Blankets?”

“Nope,” Buck says. “We brought all that out already, didn’t we, Superman?”

“Yep.” Chris is distracted with the pizza, indicating to Buck which slices he wants. 

Eddie leaves them too it, heading inside. As well as the drinks, he grabs the marshmallow, crackers, and chocolate. When Buck and Chris spot them, they both cheer and Eddie snorts. “Don’t pretend that you didn’t plan this.”

“Me?” Buck feigns innocence, but Eddie knows who did the grocery shopping that week. 

Settling back on the blanket, Eddie ends up on one side of Buck, with Chris on the other. They get through the pizza and drinks, Buck distracting them with stories of the day and some of their funnier rescues. When Eddie starts to break open the marshmallows, Buck starts to make shadows with the fire, showing them up on the tent. 

Buck moves his hands into claws and moves them across the tent. “What about this one?”

“Daddy in the morning!” Chris yells. 

Eddie gasps, reaching over to tickle Chris and he giggles, shifting further into Buck.

“Save me, Buck!”

“I don’t know.” Buck pretends to think about it and after another shriek from Eddie, reaches out to tickle Eddie instead. 

“Hey now,” Eddie says, leaning in and pressing a kiss to Buck’s lips. “Don’t tickle the man with the marshmallows.”

Buck snorts, but pretends to shield Chris from Eddie’s view. “It’s okay, Chris. How about, while your dad sorts the smores for us, we think up scary stories so that he’ll be afraid?”

“Then we can cuddle him!” Chris says.

There’s a softness to the night; Eddie hands one of the marshmallow sticks to Buck, who helps Chris hold it over the fire. They’re focused and whispering scary stories to each other while Eddie sorts out the crackers and chocolate. He watches them, knowing how fragile the moment is, the fact that he wants it to last for so much longer. His boys are everything, his love for them eclipsed only by his fear that one day, it’ll all disappear. He’s trying to be better and it’s easier when Buck looks up, smile at him like he’s the best thing Buck’s ever seen — something that’s difficult to feel when Buck loves Eddie’s son as much as he does. 

“Hey,” Buck says, nudging him when he takes too long. “You alright?”

“Yeah.” It’s easy to smile, to mean it, and Buck returns it with one of his own. “You ready for this?”

Chris nods, and they transfer the marshmallow to the cracker. Chris is left a sticky mess once it’s cooled and Eddie rolls his eyes. He’s definitely going to be cleaning Chris up for the rest of forever after this. 

When they’ve had their fill of smores, and Chris is starting to flag next to Buck, they transfer to the tent. Eddie puts out the fire, collects the pizza boxes and what’s left of the smore ingredients and carries them indoors; he doesn’t want bugs crawling all over him anymore than necessary, thanks. Locking up the house and double checking they have everything they need, Eddie goes back out into the yard. 

Buck’s still sitting by the cooling fire. The tent door’s open and Eddie can see Chris curled up in his sleeping bag, blankets piled up on top of him and beside him. There’s another sleeping bag — two, actually, zipped together — and Eddie grins. 

“You ready?” He asks, running his hand through Eddie’s hair. 

Buck looks up, soft smile on his face, but he tugs on Eddie’s hand. “Sit with me?”

There’s nothing Eddie would refuse Buck so he does, perching on the blanket next to him. “Everything okay?”

“More than,” Buck says quietly. He leans in, kisses Eddie’s temple and shifts him closer. Eddie goes willingly; he still doesn’t know how to ask for things, sometimes, afraid of his wants and needs, but somehow Buck always knows. He manhandles Eddie around until they’re both comfortable, Eddie’s back to Buck’s front, Buck’s arms around him, and Buck’s chin on his shoulder. There’s not much difference in height between them, but enough that Eddie likes it. Likes feeling safe, that somebody else has him when the world’s shifting beneath him, away from him. 

“I love you,” Buck whispers quietly. 

Eddie breaths out slowly, closes his eyes. He thinks about his family, the love he's been waiting so long for, and the touch of Buck's lips against his cheek, temple. “I love you too.”


End file.
